PORTS  OF  ENTRY 
MISSIONARY  HERALD 


rT}HE  one  institution  in  America 
•L  most  gravely  concerned  with  the 
coming  and  staying  of  the  Immigrant 
is  the  Protestant  Church 

EDWARD  A.  STEINER 


Ports  of  Entry 
Missionary  Herald 


ISSUED  BY 

The  Joint  Committee  of  Six 

REPRESENTING 

THE  HOME  MISSIONS  COUNCIL 

AND 

THE  COUNCIL  OF  WOMEN  FOR  HOME  MISSIONS 
Room  713,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


THE  HOME  MISSIONS  COUNCIL 


Representing  Thirteen  Evangelical  Denominations  Through 
Thirty-three  Societies  Engaged  in  Home  Mission  Service 


Chairman, 

Rev.  Charles  L.  Thompson,  D.D., 
156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


Ex 

S.  L.  Morris,  D.D. 

Charles  H.  Beck,  D.D. 

A.  S.  Lloyd,  D.D. 

C.  Whitney,  D.D. 

William  T.  Demarest 
R.  A.  Hutchison,  D.D. 

John  I 


ive  Committee 

Grant  K.  Lewis 

H.  L.  Morehouse,  D.D. 

R.  D.  Lord,  D.D. 

C.  E.  Schaeffer,  D.D. 
J.  C.  Kunzmann,  D.D. 
H.  C.  Herring,  D.D. 

I.  Moore,  D.D. 


COUNCIL  OF  WOMEN  FOR  HOME  MISSIONS 


Representing  Seventeen  Constituent  Corresponding  and  Consulting 
Boards  and  Societies  Engaged  in  Home  Mission  Service 


President , 

Mrs.  George  W.  Coleman, 

177  West  Brookline  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


Executive 

Mrs.  Fred  Smith  Bennett 
Mrs.  Charles  L.  Fry 
Miss  Florence  E.  Fellowe 
Miss  May  Leonard  Woodruff 
Mrs.  R.  W.  MacDonnell 
Mrs.  W.  C.  Winsborough 
Mrs.  William  S.  Cook 
Miss  Elizabeth  B.  Vermilye 

Mrs.  Char 


Committee 

Mrs.  F.  W.  Wilcox 
Mrs.  P.  F.  Jerome 
Mrs.  John  S.  Allen  . 

Mrs.  Mary  Fisk  Park 
Mrs.  D.  E.  Waid 
Mrs.  Laura  Gerould  Craig 
Mrs.  O.  R.  Judd 
Mrs.  P.  M.  Rossman 
es  F.  Chase 


2 


THE  HOME  MISSIONS  COUNCIL 


Committee  on  Immigrant  Work 

Chairman, 

Rev.  William  P.  Shriver, 

156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 
F.  D.  Bovard,  D.D.  A.  S.  Hartman,  D.D. 

Rev.  R.  L.  Breed  E.  H.  Rawlings,  D.D. 

Rev.  C.  A.  Brooks  C.  E.  Schaeffer,  D.D. 

F.  H.  Wright,  D.D. 

Secretary, 

Rev.  Joseph  E.  Perry,  Ph.D. 


COUNCIL  OF  WOMEN  FOR  HOME  MISSIONS 


Committee  on  Home  Mission  Interests  Among  Immigrants 


Chairman, 

Mrs.  P.  M.  Rossman, 

203  West  85th  Street,  New  York 


Mrs.  David  W.  Smith 
Mrs.  George  C.  Moor 
Mrs.  F.  W.  Wilcox 
Mrs.  J.  A.  Lewis 
Mrs.  D.  J.  Schneider 
Mrs.  Helen  McMillin 
Mrs.  J.  F.  Hartman 
Miss  Laura  Swope 
Miss  Laura  V.  Keck 
Mrs.  Mary  Fisk  Park 
Mrs.  D.  B.  Street 


Mrs.  T.  J.  Copeland 
Miss  Belle  Bennett 
Miss  Anna  Hyatt 
Miss  E.  G.  Long 
Mrs.  E.  H.  Maynard 
Mrs.  F.  V.  Green 
Mrs.  C.  W.  Burns 
Mrs.  W.  M.  Nichol 
Mrs.  Wm.  Rowland 
Mrs.  Joseph  McLester 
Mrs.  H.  M.  Bremer 


Represented  in  the 

PORTS  OF  ENTRY  MISSIONARY  WORK 

by  the 

Joint  Committee  of  Six 

Rev.  William  P.  Shriver  Mrs.  P.  M.  Rossman 

Rev.  Reuben  L.  Breed  Mrs.  F.  W.  Wilcox 

Rev.  Charles  A.  Brooks  Miss  Edith  Grier  Long 

Secretary, 

Rev.  Joseph  E.  Perry,  Ph.D. 


AT  THE  RAILROAD  TICKET  OFFICE, 
ELLIS  ISLAND 


4 


Ports  of  Entry 

SCARCELY  any  other  three  words  form  a  phrase  freighted  with 
meaning  so  vital  to  our  national  life.  Here  is  the  con¬ 
vergence  of  streams  of  humanity  flowing  from  the  ends  of 
the  world.  Through  these  gateways  more  than  33,000,000 
aliens  have  come  to  our  shores.  Much  that  they  have  brought  has 
been  antagonistic  to  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  our  institutions,  but 
their  great  contribution  has  been  the  world’s  wealth  of  physical 
strength,  intellectual  power,  spiritual  vigor,  religious  fervor  and 
the  incarnation  of  the  yearning  passion  of  the  soul  for  liberty  and 
life.  It  is  our  duty  to  recognize  the  value  of  their  offering  in  terms 
of  manhood  and  womanhood  and  not  merely  in  terms  of  finance 
and  business,  and  to  so  discharge  the  responsibility  involved  in 
opening  our  gates,  as  to  help  them  to  properly  appreciate  their 
privilege  and  opportunity,  and  to  make  possible  the  realization  of 
their  ideals. 

Dr.  Steiner  says,  “It  is  a  big  task,  the  biggest  and  most  difficult 
and  yet  most  rewarding  task  the  Church  has  to  face." 


The  Immigrant’s  Welcome 

The  Federal  authorities  endeavor  to  receive  the  immigrant  with 
a  genuinely  humane  welcome.  Some  of  our  ports  have  not  build¬ 
ings  properly  equipped  for  receiving  and  examining  immigrants 
and  caring  for  the  detained.  Occasionally  there  are  rumors  of 
instances  of  harsh  treatment  on  the  part  of  the  Government.  For 
some  of  these  there  is  doubtless  occasion,  but  one  who  has  the 
opportunity  to  see  the  Ports  of  Entry  service  in  all  its  phases 
through  a  series  of  months,  will  be  convinced  that  honesty,  careful¬ 
ness  and  kindness  characterize  the  method  and  manner  of  the 
Government  officials  and  employees,  and  that  nowhere  else  is  the 
immigrant  received  more  humanely  and  treated  more  kindly  and 
courteously  than  at  our  Ports  of  Entry. 

Dr.  Frederic  C.  Howe,  Commissioner  of  Immigration  at  the 
Port  of  New  York,  recently  said,  “Ellis  Island  is  public  property 
and  those  of  us  who  are  over  there  are  public  servants.  We  have 
made  provisions  at  Ellis  Island  so  that  every  man,  woman  or  child 
in  the  United  States  can  participate  in  its  administration.  We  did 
that  through  inviting  suggestions,  criticisms,  complaints.  We  be¬ 
lieve  the  best  curative  of  disease  is  sunlight,  and  the  sunlight  that 
we  are  aiming  to  turn  on  Ellis  Island  is  the  sunlight  of  as  many 
human  eyes  as  will  turn  themselves  on  that  station  with  their  sug¬ 
gestions  or  complaints.  I  invite  you  to  come  to  Ellis  Island,  to 
see  the  station  and  to  examine  it,  to  meet  your  friends  and  to  aid  the 
six  hundred  men  over  there  in  the  Government  employ  in  making 
Ellis  Island  a  place  we  all  love.” 


5 


Our  Missionaries 

No  part  of  the  immigrant  welcome  service  is  more  important 
than  that  which  is  done  by  the  missionaries.  Their  purpose  is  pri¬ 
marily  to  carry  the  gospel  story  of  salvation  and  good  cheer.  “Be¬ 
hold,  I  bring  you  glad  tidings  of  great  joy”  is  the  message  of  the 
Ports  of  Entry  missionary.  This  work,  however,  combines  regard 
for  spiritual  life  and  material  welfare.  It  must  be  humanitarian 
and  philanthropic  service  of  a  very  practical  sort.  It  is  the  cup  of 
water  “In  His  name’’  given  with  the  personal  touch  of  one  of  His 
disciples. 

On  page  18  will  be  found  a  list  of  other  Societies  and  Organiza¬ 
tions  engaged  in  this  immigrant  welcome  service. 

The  Home  Missions  Council 

and 

Council  of  Women  for  Home  Missions 

At  the  annual  meeting,  January  12,  1915,  the  Committee  on 
Immigrant  Work  reported — “We  are  confirmed  by  Dr.  Selden’s 
brief  study  and  by  all  that  we  have  seen  and  heard  during  the  year 
in  the  opinion  expressed  in  our  last  report,  as  follows : 

“If  the  Council  desires  to  do  the  far-visioned  thing,  based  on 
the  broad  and  stable  principles  which  should  govern  the  King’s 
business,  let  it  lay  hands  upon  the  strongest  available  man  and  put 
him  at  the  task  of  inquiry,  of  leadership,  of  unification,  of  inspira¬ 
tion,  beginning  at  the  port  of  entry  and  gradually  extending  his 
knowledge  and  influence  until  he  stands  at  the  center  of  the  whole 
field  of  our  service  in  alien  tongues.” 

“We  do  not,  however,  venture  at  this  time  to  suggest  a  program 
so  elaborate  nor  a  task  so  comprehensive  for  the  Council’s  repre¬ 
sentative.  We  review  in  effect  our  recommendation  of  last  year 
that  the  Council  proceed  conservatively  and  that  effort  for 
the  coming  year  be  limited  in  the  main  to  the  ports  of  entry.  The 
relatively  small  volume  of  immigration  now  coming  in,  while 
making  less  immediate  demands  upon  us,  affords  peculiar  advan¬ 
tages  for  study  of  the  problems  involved,  for  conference  with 
Government  officials,  and  for  development,  readjustment  and  or¬ 
ganization  of  the  missionary  force.  At  the  end  of  a  year  of  inquiry 
and  effort  along  these  lines,  having  all  the  time  in  view  the  larger 
field  of  our  work  across  the  country,  your  Committee  hopes  to  be 
able  to  report  substantial  progress  and  to  suggest  how  further  to 
profit  by  the  ground  gained  in  the  inquiries  of  last  year  and  the 
year  to  come.” 

“Your  Committee  is  glad  to  be  able  to  announce  that  the  Coun¬ 
cil  of  Women  for  Home  Missions  has  been  increasingly  interested 
in  the  matter  under  discussion  and  has  recommended  to  its  constit¬ 
uent  bodies  that  they  assume  one-third  of  the  expense  of  any  plan 
adopted  for  the  coming  year.” 


6 


At  this  meeting  the  following  recommendation  of  the  Business 
Committee  was  adopted,  “That  the  Council,  in  cooperation  with  the 
Council  of  Women  for  Home  Missions,  ask  the  Rev.  Joseph  E. 
Perry,  Ph.D.,  to  act  as  representative  of  the  two  Councils  at  ports 
of  entry,  for  the  year  beginning  January  15,  1915.” 

The  task  of  directing  the  work  of  the  representative  of  the  two 
Councils  at  the  Ports  of  Entry  was  given  to  a  “Committee  of  Six” 
composed  of  three  persons  chosen  from  the  “Immigrant  Work 
Committee”  of  the  Home  Missions  Council,  and  three  from  the 
“Committee  of  Missionary  Interests  Among  the  Immigrants”  of 
the  Council  of  Women. 

In  accordance  with  the  policy  and  program  proposed  by  the 
“Committee  of  Six”  the  time  of  the  secretary  was  spent  mainly  in 
touch  with  the  missionary  work  and  workers  at  the  Ports  of  Entry 
in  Philadelphia,  Boston  and  Ellis  Island.  Conferences  were  held 
with  representatives  of  the  Federal  Government  and  agents  and 
workers  of  various  societies  working  with  the  Immigrant,  including 
the  Commissioners  and  Assistant  Commissioners  at  the  Ports  men¬ 
tioned,  Mr.  Green  of  the  Federal  Information  Bureau,  representa¬ 
tives  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  Citv  and  International 
Committees,  the  W.  C.  T.  U.,  the  Committee  for  Immigrants  of 
America,  the  North  American  Civic  League,  the  Travelers’  Aid, 
the  Immigrant  Guide  and  Transfer  Agency,  and  with  missionaries 
working  at  these  Ports. 

These  interviews  and  conferences  revealed : 

1.  The  fact  that  organization  and  cooperation  in  this  work  is 
almost  universally  regarded  as  essential  to  the  permanent  establish¬ 
ment  of  any  large  service  for  the  Immigrant,  and  especially  is  this 
true  of  the  missionary  work.  It  is  quite  generally  regarded  that 
lack  of  system  is  a  great  hindrance  to  the  comprehensive  effective¬ 
ness  of  this  very  important  phase  of  the  service  rendered  for  the 
arriving  Immigrant. 

2.  All  other  Societies  and  Agencies  have  rather  definitely  sys¬ 
tematized  their  work.  This  fact  appeals  to  the  Government  officials 
and  enables  these  Societies  to  have  recognition  and  consideration 
by  Federal  and  Municipal  authorities  and  other  agencies  interested 
in  the  formation  of  any  comprehensive  scheme  for  the  protection  of 
the  Immigrant. 

3.  In  every  Port  the  officials  bear  fine  testimony  to  the  very 
useful  service  rendered  by  the  Christian  missionaries.  But  even  so 
their  estimate  is  based  on  the  social  and  humanitarian  side  of  the 
work,  and  not  on  the  spiritual  phase  of  their  service. 

4.  If  the  Christian  missionaries  and  the  religious  workers  were 
withdrawn  from  this  service  at  the  Ports  of  Entry,  it  would  be  like 
withdrawing  the  sun  from  the  heavens. 

The  activities  involved  in  this  service  are  as  varied  as  the  duties 
of  a  missionary  in  any  other  field  of  work.  They  must  clothe  the 


7 


naked,  visit  the  sick,  comfort  the  sorrowing,  cheer  the  despondent, 
give  courage  to  the  hesitating,  frightened  stranger,  care  for  the 
dying,  and  sometimes  minister  at  the  burial  service.  They  read 
to  the  illiterate,  write  letters  and  supply  papers  and  literature. 
Indeed,  they  must  be  voice,  ears,  hands  and  feet;  even  heart  and 
soul  to  hundreds  and  thousands  of  these  children  from  the  old 
world,  now  babes  in  a  new  life. 

The  true  spirit  of  harmony,  brotherly  kindness,  and  heart  sym 
pathy  filled  with  the  spirit  of  power  of  Christian  love,  characterizes 
their  work.  Nothing  else  could  fulfil  its  mission.  It  is  also  very 
evident  that  the  full  potential  value  of  this  work  has  not  yet  been 
actualized.  This  part  of  the  missionary  service  of  the  Christian 
Church  may  be  made  a  much  more  forceful  and  fruitful  agency 
in  the  work  of  the  Kingdom.  It  ought  to  be  a  source  and  center  of 
greater  power  in  the  Home  missionary  work  of  our  entire  country, 
and  can  be  made  an  agency  of  power  in  our  Foreign  missionary 
work.  To  realize  the  full  measure  of  the  possible  power  and  use¬ 
fulness  of  this  branch  of  missionary  work,  is  the  central  purpose  of 
our  task.  IT  accomplish  this  purpose  it  was  evident  that  our  mis¬ 
sionary  work  should  be  organized  in  some  comprehensive  and  defi¬ 
nite  scheme  that  would  unite  practically  all  the  religious  forces  and 
represent  to  the  immigrant  the  heart  and  spirit  of  American  Chris¬ 
tian  sentiment,  and  that  would  combine  in  a  practical  way  the  work 
of  all  Ports  of  Entry,  and  also  vitally  relate  this  work  to  all  immi¬ 
grant  work  inland,  aiding  and  being  supplemented  by  such  work. 
In  this  way  also  our  missionary  work  could  be  related  readily  to 
all  civic  and  philanthropic  immigrant  work  in  any  city  or  com¬ 
munity.  The  adoption  of  such  plan,  because  of  its  being  inter¬ 
denominational  in  principle  and  having  unselfish  ideals,  and  being 
practical  and  comprehensive  in  its  working,  would  commend  itself 
to  the  Federal,  Civic  and  Municipal  Government  authorities.  It 
will  commend  itself  also  to  the  religious  communities  and  societies 
for  the  same  reasons,  and  also  because  of  a  possible  lessening  of 
expense,  and  of  securing  larger  and  more  permanent  results  for  the 
effort  and  money  expended. 

A  plan  of  organization  was  presented  by  the  secretary  to  the 
Committee  of  Six,  which  was  adopted  by  them  and  referred  to  the 
missionaries  at  Ellis  Island  for  their  consideration.  This  proposi¬ 
tion  provided  for  the  appointment  of  certain  committees  on  the 
different  departments  of  the  missionary  work,  and  for  conferences 
of  workers  and  for  relating  the  work  to  that  of  other  Ports  of  Entry, 
and  for  uniting  the  port  missionary  work  to  the  missionary  work 
inland. 


8 


Ellis  Island 

THE  center  of  the  year’s  work  has  been  Ellis  Island,  the  great 
home  and  foreign  mission  field,  in  area  covering  a  few  acres, 
in  influence  compassing  the  entire  world.  Any  one  with 
ability  to  “sense”  a  condition  standing  at  Ellis  Island  feels 
himself  to  be  not  at  the  “hub  of  the  universe,”  but  at  the  heart  of 
the  world,  through  which  are  circulating  the  life  currents  of  the 
old  world  and  the  new.  More  than  one-half  of  those  coming  to  our 
shores  enter  by  this  gateway.  Here  is  the  beginning  of  the  prepara¬ 
tion  of  this  great  mass  of  humanity  for  the  process  of  assimilation 
into  the  American  spirit  and  life. 

The  missionaries  at  Ellis  Island  adopted  the  plan  of  organization 
approved  by  the  Committee  of  Six,  and  appointed  the  committees 
provided  for.  The  operation  of  this  plan  has  been  very  satisfactory 
considering  all  that  is  involved.  The  Committees  are  organized  and 
reports  from  some  of  them  are  given  in  the  following  pages. 

There  are  now  twenty-five  missionaries  and  workers  represent¬ 
ing  the  Boards  and  Societies  federated  with  the  two  Councils,  and 
other  Societies  cooperating  in  the  work  of  federating  the  religious 
forces  in  this  branch  of  missionary  service.  The  field  of  service 
and  the  activities  of  the  missionaries  at  Ellis  Island  is  typical  of 
all  Ports  of  Entry  missionary  work. 

The  field  of  this  ministry  is : 

(a)  The  railroad  rooms.  Here  quick  work  must  be  done.  It  is 
just  touch  and  go.  The  missionaries  of  our  Societies,  the  American 
Tract  Society,  the  New  York  Bible  Society,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Y.  W. 
C.  A.,  W.  C.  T.  U.,  and  kindred  agencies  do  most  excellent  service. 


o 


(b)  Among-  the  detained  Immigrants.  This  is  a  field  of  varied 
service  and  is  perhaps  the  place  of  greatest  opportunity  for  our  mis¬ 
sionaries  and  is  specificalty  their  field. 

(c)  The  hospital.  This  is  a  very  important  part  of  the  work 
for,  and  with,  those  who  are  detained.  Of  course,  there  is  need  of 
temporal  relief  and  comforts,  but  here  especially  there  are  times 
when  no  one  can  minister  except  one  who  brings  spiritual  comfort 
and  the  cheer  of  the  love  of  God. 


Missionary  Activities 


THE  missionaries  at  our  Ports  meet  and  aid  representatives 
of  the  following  nationalities,  viz.:  English,  Irish,  Scotch, 
Welsh,  French,  Swiss,  German,  Dutch,  Belgian,  Hebrews  of 
various  nations,  Swedish,  Norwegian,  Danish,  Finnish,  Ital¬ 
ian,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  Austrian,  Greek,  Turkish,  Armenian, 
Bulgarian,  Servian,  Roumanian,  Albanian,  Hungarian,  Bohemian, 
Croatian,  Slovenian,  Ruthenian,  Lithuanian,  Russian,  Polish,  Mexi¬ 
can,  Cuban,  and  other  West  Indian,  Panamanian,  Venezuelan, 
Columbian,  Argentinian,  Australian,  Maltese,  West  African,  Egyp¬ 
tian,  Syrian,  Persian,  Hindu,  Chaldean,  Chinese,  Japanese,  and 
Korean, — in  all,  52. 

Visitors  to  Ellis  Island  often  ask,  “Just  what  do  the  mission¬ 
aries  do?”  The  Rev.  Eliot  White,  Port  Chaplain  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  City  Mission  Society,  gives  the  following  answer  to  this 
query : 


We  meet  those  newly  coming  from  the  ocean  steamers  to  Ellis 
Island,  and  less  frequently,  second-cabin  passengers  at  the  docks. 
We  aid  them  through  the  Immigration  Station  in  many  ways,  with 
tickets,  trunks  and  hand  baggage,  with  food,  sometimes  getting 
milk  heated  for  a  baby,  or  “minding”  little  children  while  parents 
look  for  their  trunks ;  telegraph  or  telephone  to  relatives  or  friends, 
give  information  of  many  sorts,  expediting  the  progress  through 
the  day’s  ordeals  of  those  fortunate  enough  to  pass  without 
detention. 

As  for  those  who  are  detained  and  designated  for  “special 
inquiry,”  our  duties  in  their  behalf  are  more  complicated  and  often 
difficult  and  sad.  Appeals  must  be  written  in  many  cases.  Where 
the  exclusion  is  mandatory,  we  have  special  opportunity  for  the 
specifically  pastoral  and  consolatory  offices  in  presence  of  bitter 
disappointment  and  sometimes  heart-broken  sorrow.  Many  are  the 
physical  needs  also,  of  the  detained,  and  those  to  be  deported; 
indeed,  the  only  limitation  on  service  of  this  sort  is  the  worker’s 
time  and  strength.  There  is  clothing  to  supply  for  those  some¬ 
times  wretchedly  clad,  and  even  barefooted  on  the  cold  stone  floors, 
and  there  are  errands  to  run  for  many  a  humble  requirement.  Then 
there  is  the  often. sad  office  of  messenger  between  the  sick  in  the 
immigrant  hospital  and  their  relatives  detained  on  the  main  island, 
and  sometimes  a  burial  to  conduct  when  the  entrance  to  the  land 


10 


of  hope  has  been  shadowed  by  some  dear  one’s  death.  For  some 
time  after  they  have  left  Ellis  Island,  we  maintain  a  ‘'follow-up” 
correspondence  with  many  whom  we  meet. 

Ellis  Island  Committees 

1.  Committee  on  Literature.  Mr.  Charles  Carrol,  Rev.  G.  J. 
D’Anchise,  Miss  Martha  Troeck,  Miss  Teresa  Fransee. 

2.  Detained  Immigrants.  Rev.  P.  D.  Vassileff,  Miss  A.  E.  Mat¬ 
thews,  Mrs.  Athena  Marmaroff. 

3.  Clothing  and  Supplies.  Rev.  P.  H.  Land,  Mr.  Marmaroff,  Miss 
Fransee,  Miss  Brys. 

4.  Hospitals.  Miss  Martha  Troeck,  Mrs.  Tripp,  Mr.  D’Anchise. 

5.  Appeals.  Rev.  Eliot  White,  Rev.  P.  H.  Land,  Mr.  Carbonetto, 
Mrs.  Conversano. 

6.  Follow-up  Committee.  Dr.  Perry  representing  the  Committee 
of  Six,  Rev.  P.  D.  Vassileff,  Mrs.  Conversano,  Mrs.  Tripp. 

7.  Religious  Meetings  and  Entertainment.  Mr.  Charles  Carrol, 
Rev.  P.  H.  Land,  Rev.  Eliot  White,  Rev.  P.  D.  Vassileff,  Mr. 
Carbonetto,  Mrs.  Conversano,  Miss  Matthews,  Miss  Fransee. 

The  Literature  Committee 

I.  Organization  : 

At  a  meeting  held  on  June  29,  1915,  the  following  resolutions 
were  adopted:  (1)  The  general  distribution  in  the  Railroad  rooms 
should  be  left  to  the  New  York  Bible  Society  and  the  American 
Tract  Society,  except  in  cases  where  missionaries  are  especially 
interested.  (2)  The  present  methods  of  distribution  in  hospitals 
and  detention  rooms  are  approved.  (3)  The  literature  distributed 
in  general  should  be  interdenominational  and  not  of  a  proselyting 
nature.  (4)  The  New  York  Bible  Society  and  the  American  Tract 
Society  are  requested  to  supply  missionaries  with  literature  for 
distribution  in  hospitals  and  detention  rooms.  (5)  The  Home 
Missions  Council  is  requested  to  supply  special  tracts  for  young 
men  and  young  women  with  advice  for  immigrants  in  general. 
(6)  The  Home  Missions  Council  is  requested  to  supply  the 
detained  immigrants  with  daily  papers,  periodicals  and  if  possible 
with  library  books. 

II.  The  Duty  of  the  Committee: 

(1)  To  see  that  the  literature  distributed  is  suitable.  (2)  If 
special  kind  of  literature  is  needed  to  outline  its  character.  (3)  To 
see  that  immigrants,  both  outgoing  and  detained,  are  supplied  with 
needed  literature.  (4)  To  see  that  the  literature  distributed  is 
evangelical  and  undenominational. 

III.  Literature  is  Distributed: 

(1)  In  the  Railroad  Rooms.  (2)  In  the  Detention  Rooms, 
where  immigrants  are  detained  in  large  numbers,  sometimes  for 
months.  (3)  In  the  hospitals,  where  many  immigrants  are  de¬ 
tained  and  literature  is  most  welcome. 

Charles  A.  Carrol, 
Chairman  of  the  Committee. 


The  Clothing  of  the  Immigrants 
at  Ellis  Island,  N.  Y. 

ONE  of  the  most  important  items  in  the  work  of  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  at  Ellis  Island  is  the  work  of  providing  suitable 
clothing  and  shoes  for  the  many  aliens  detained  at  the 
Island.  Only  by  strict  adherence  to  certain  principles  can 
the  work  be  a  real  success.  The  first  of  these  principles  is :  Never 
give  an  alien  that  which  is  beneath  his  dignity  to  wear  or  to  use. 
This  may  sound  strange,  but  is  nevertheless  very  important.  All 
the  aliens,  except  stowaways  and  warrant  cases,  bring  their  wear¬ 
ing  apparel  with  them.  Stowaways  are  as  a  rule  not  very  particu¬ 
lar.  Warrant  cases,  since  they  have  been  in  this  country  and 
know  how  to  dress,  are  quite  particular.  The  average  alien  will 
not  look  with  favor  upon  any  person  who  offers  him  a  gar¬ 
ment  which  is  worn  out,  or  which  he  would  be  ashamed  to  wear 
at  home.  There  are  other  difficulties.  Some  of  the  aliens  will  not 
accept  for  instance  an  old  lady’s  overcoat  which  was  worn  20  years 
ago.  Of  such  we  receive  quite  an  overwhelming  number.  Others 
cling  strongly  to  their  home  fashions  and  will  only  accept  such 
things  as  in  some  manner  correspond  to  their  accustomed  styles. 
The  second  principle  is :  to  give  only  to  the  really  needy.  Caution 
is  necessary.  Some  immigrants  are  greedy,  they  accept  everything 
which  is  offered,  put  it  into  their  hampers,  and  keep  on  wearing 
their  old  worn-out  duds  in  the  hope  of  receiving  still  more  gifts. 
Another  principle  is  to  try  and  fit  the  alien  as  well  as  possible.  If 
the  coat  or  shoes  fit  him,  he  will  wear  them  with  pleasure  and  will 
not  feel  ridiculous  among  his  fellows. 

Another  principle  is  to  study  the  social  training  and  tastes  of 
the  immigrants  and  if  they  need  clothes  give  such  things  as  will 
make  their  appearance  more  respectable.  One  of  the  purposes  of 
the  clothes  department  is :  to  have  the  alien  appear  before  the 
Board  of  Special  Inquiry  as  neat  and  respectable  looking  as  possi¬ 
ble,  so  that  he  may  be  judged  as  he  would  look  under  ordinary 
circumstances,  not  as  he  arrives  after  a  lengthy  trip  in  the  steerage. 
Another  principle  is:  not  to  overlap.  Where  there  is  a  number  of 
missionaries  there  is  always  the  danger  of  overlapping  in  the  dis¬ 
tribution  of  gifts. 

At  Ellis  Island  a  clothes  room  of  moderate  proportions  is  in 
use.  It  is  divided  into  sections,  and  clothes  are  kept  separately 
for  men,  women,  and  children.  Shoes  and  other  things  have  their 
proper  places.  A  great  deal  of  valuable  time  is  consumed  in  sort¬ 
ing  out  the  things  which  are  utterly  unfit  to  give  away.  We  can¬ 
not  insist  too  strongly  upon  the  necessity  of  not  sending  things 
which  are  useless,  worn  out,  or  ridiculous.  The  average  alien  has 


1 2 


a  great  deal  more  knowledge  and  taste  than  he  is  credited  with  by 
the  donors  in  various  churches.  Shoes  and  clothes  ought  to  be  at 
least  in  good  repair.  It  would  be  far  better  to  send  fewer  and 
better  things,  than  to  send  great  boxes  of  indifferent  material. 

The  greatest  needs .  Underwear,  suitable  to  the  season  of  year, 
shoes  of  large  proportions,  men’s  overcoats,  socks  and  stockings 
for  all,  infants’  outfits  for  the  newly  born,  and  children’s  clothes  are 
always  welcome  and  appreciated.  Also  a  lot  of  other  things  sel¬ 
dom  received,  garters,  suspenders,  toilet  articles,  such  as  combs, 
finecombs,  shaving  mugs,  brushes,  etc.  All  these  things  are  needed 
every  day.  The  most  essential  principle  of  all  this  work,  however, 
is  for  the  missionary  to  put  heart  into  it,  and  not  to  let  the  recipient 
feel  that  the  work  is  done  perfunctorily  or  with  aversion.  The 
missionary  sometimes  must  even  show  how  to  make  use  of  the  gift 
and  must  see  to  it  that  the  clothes  are  actually  worn,  etc.  It  is  a 
blessed  work  if  properly  done. 

Rev.  P.  H.  Land, 
Chairman  of  the  Committee. 

Missionary  Work  in  the  Immigrant  Hospital, 

Ellis  Island 


THE  daily  visits  of  the  missionaries  in  the  hospital  wards  on 
Ellis  Island  have  proved  a  great  blessing  and  a  help  to  the 
immigrants.  We  are  also  in  various  ways  helpful  to  the 
doctors  and  nurses  in  their  attentions  to  the  patients,  and 
very  often  act  as  an  interpreter.  The  missionaries  are  particularly 
responsible  for  those  people  in  whose  languages  they  are  able  to 
converse.  They  visit  these  daily,  if  possible  or  advisable,  but  they 
also  pay  attention  by  little  gifts  and  sympathy  to  the  other  patients 
in  the  ward,  and  by  doing  so  become  friends  to  everybody.  Our 
first  object  in  visiting  new  arrivals  is  to  let  them  know  that  the 
relatives  who  traveled  with  them  on  the  same  ship  are  waiting 
for  them  in  the  large  Immigration  Detention  Rooms  and  will  not 
leave  before  the  sick  one  is  discharged  from  the  hospital.  This  is 
always  welcome  news,  for  most  all  the  poor,  helpless  patients  seem 
to  be  under  the  impression  that  their  friends  have  left  them  when 
separated  from  them  by  the  doctors.  After  a  little  explanation 
and  comforting  words,  we  leave  (if  advisable)  some  good  litera¬ 
ture  with  them  and  promise  soon  to  call  again  and  bring  greetings 
from  their  loved  ones.  As  they  see  us  talking  to  other  patients, 
they  find  confidence  and  take  courage  among  the  strangers,  and 
wait  anxiously  our  return.  We  visit  all  the  wards  in  the  hospital 
except  the  contagious  hospital,  where  the  missionaries  are  allowed 
only  by  special  permission  from  the  Superintendent  or  doctors. 
The  missionaries  are  called  upon  to  supply  the  patients  with  the 
most  necessary  articles  of  clothing  to  those  discharged  from  the 
hospital,  and  also  to  supply  many  children  and  adults  with  shoes 
and  stockings  when  under  treatment  for  trachoma  or  any  other 
disease,  which  does  not  confine  the  patients  to  the  bed.  They  fur- 


13 


nish  the  outfit  for  new-born  infants  for  which  the  mothers  had  no 
chance  to  provide,  or  were  too  poor  to  do  so.  We  bring  tags,  pic¬ 
ture  books,  dolls  and  other  little  gifts  to  the  sick  and  lonesome 
children.  To  the  adults  we  carry  newspapers  and  magazines  in  dif¬ 
ferent  languages,  books,  gospels  and  tracts.  On  Christmas  we 
place  trees  in  the  different  wards  and  give  appropriate  presents  to 
all  the  patients.  The  missionaries  communicate  with  the  relatives 
or  friends  of  the  sick  aliens.  In  case  of  death  they  assist  in  every 
way  possible.  Pastors  often  officiate  at  the  funeral  services. 

Martha  M.  Troeck, 
Chairman  of  Hospital  Committee. 

Committee  on  Appeals  and  Petitions 


WHEN  a  case  is  excluded  at  Ellis  Island  an  appeal  is 
allowed  to  the  Secretary  of  Labor  in  Washington,  as  a 
higher  “court/’  except  when  the  exclusion  is  because  of 
certain  contagious  disease,  mental  inferiority  and  the 

like. 

The  missionaries  at  Ellis  Island  not  infrequently  write  the 
appeals,  endeavoring  to  bring  out  points  in  the  cases  which 
strengthen  the  appellants’  cause. 

They  also  make  petitions  for  hospital  treatment  for  such  un¬ 
appealable  cases  as  sufferers  from  trachoma,  hookworm,  etc.  This 
treatment,  if  allowed  by  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  is  at  the  expense 
of  the  aliens’  relatives.  If  the  afflicted  person  is  cured,  he  or  she 
is,  if  otherwise  eligible  to  land,  admitted  to  the  country. 

Eliot  White, 

For  the  Committee. 

In  the  complete  working  out  of  this  plan  the  proper  method 
will  be  for  any  missionary  wishing  to  file  an  appeal,  to  confer  with 
this  Committee,  and  especially  so  before  making  an  appeal  to  the 
Secretary  of  Labor  in  Washington.  In  some  instances  at  least, 
this  will  be  a  protection  for  the  missionary  against  unwise  peti¬ 
tions  of  friends  and  relatives. 


Follow-up  Committee 


THIS  Committee  is  to  be  the  connecting  link  between  the 
Ports  of  Entry  and  the  inland  work.  The  missionaries  fill 
out  blanks,  giving  the  name  and  destination  of  the  arriving 
immigrant.  These  blanks  are  given  to  the  Follow-up  Com¬ 
mittee  and  duplicates  with  a  letter  are  forwarded  to  a  pastor  or 
worker  in  the  place  of  the  immigrant’s  destination  with  a  request 
that  the  family  be  visited,  and  a  reply  sent  on  the  postal  card 
enclosed  with  the  letter.  In  this  short  period  198  names 
have  been  forwarded.  It  is,  however,  too  soon  to  measure  the 
value  of  this  work. 

Mrs.  Marie  Conversano, 

For  the  Committee. 


14 


The  effectiveness  of  the  work  of  this  Committee  necessitates 
having  a  list  of  pastors  and  workers  in  the  entire  country.  This 
will  be  greatly  simplified  by  the  appointment  of  local  interdenomi¬ 
national  committees  such  as  have  been  appointed  in  several  towns 
and  cities.  It  can  be  made  a  most  important  force  in  correlating 
the  work  of  the  different  Ports  of  Entry,  and  strengthening  our 
inland  missionary  work. 


Committee  of  Religious  Services 


COMMISSIONER  HOWE  having  given  his  consent  to  the 
holding  of  Religious  Services,  five  of  these  were  conducted 
in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1915,  under  the  auspices  of 
the  missionaries  representing  the  Congregational,  Episco¬ 
pal,  Lutheran,  Methodist,  and  Presbyterian  Churches. 

At  present  the  best  available  hour  on  Sundays  (2.30  to  3.30 
p.m.)  is  occupied  usually  by  a  concert,  so  that  the  services  have 
been  somewhat  interfered  with.  It  is  hoped,  however,  soon  to  meet 
this  difficulty. 

E.  White, 

For  the  Committee. 


This  year  frequently  the  missionaries  have  met  once  a  week  in 
a  prayer  service.  During  the  year  weekly  entertainments  have 
been  given  with  a  moving  picture  outfit  provided  by  the  Committee 
of  Six  for  the  detained  immigrants. 


Other  Societies  Working  at  Ellis  Island 
The  New  York  Bible  Society 


AT  Ellis  Island  our  missionaries  aim  to  make  it  possible  for 
each  immigrant  to  obtain  a  copy  of  the  Scriptures  in  his 
own  language.  Mr.  Jackson  has  been  engaged  in  this  work 
for  over  thirty-six  years. 


Mr.  Lodsin  is  familiar  with  the  language  and  customs  of  the 
Lettish,  Russian,  and  Polish  people. 

At  Ellis  Island  during  the  year  629  Bibles,  3,047  New  Testa¬ 
ments,  and  27,510  portions  of  the  Scriptures  were  distributed. 


American  Tract  Society 

DURING  the  current  year  at  Ellis  Island,  the  American 
Tract  Society  has  distributed  Christian  literature  in  twen¬ 
ty-nine  different  languages,  and  a  total  of  150,270  volumes, 
booklets,  tracts  and  periodicals.  The  number  of  immi¬ 
grants  visited  totals  386,595. 


15 


Mr.  Ernest  Jackson, 

MISSIONARY  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  BIBLE  SOCIETY  AT  ELLIS  ISLAND  FOR 

MORE  THAN  THIRTY-SIX  YEARS 


Young  Men’s  Christian  Association 

FIVE  port  secretaries  in  America  serve  the  thousands  still 
coming.  In  Ellis  Island,  during  the  year,  7,807  men  were 
helped ;  4,302  were  given  introductions  to  inland  Associa¬ 
tions ;  1,644  were  tied  up  to  relatives  and  friends,  and  250 
appeals  were  made  in  behalf  of  the  detained.  Similar  services 
were  rendered  men  landing  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston 
and  San  Francisco.  The  Association  has  this  year  found  excep¬ 
tional  opportunities  for  service  among  men  who  could  neither  land 
nor  leave.  Port  secretaries  have  assumed  the  responsibility  of 
landing  many  of  these  people,  found  them  employment,  and  re¬ 
ported  regularly  to  the  Immigration  Commissioner  concerning 
them. 


16 


The  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  have  two  workers, 
one  for  the  New  York  branch  office,  and  one  for  the  national  office. 
These  are  not  engaged  in  strictly  missionary  work.  The  New 
York  branch  frequently  sends  some  of  its  foreign-speaking  work¬ 
ers  to  Ellis  Island  for  special  services.  Plans  for  still  greater 
national  and  international  service  may  be  formulated  and  adopted. 


The  W.  C.  T.  U. 


MRS.  ATHENA  MARMAROFF,  missionary  at  Ellis  Island, 
is  under  appointment  by  the  National  W.  C.  T.  U.,  though 
the  administration  of  the  work  is  placed  in  the  hands  of 
New  York  State.  Mrs.  Marmaroff  was  educated  at  a  Con¬ 
gregational  Mission  School  in  Monastir,  Turkey.  She  speaks  all 
the  languages  of  the  Balkan  States. 

Mrs.  Marmaroff  works  among  Greeks,  Roumanians,  Bulgarians, 
Montenegrins  and  immigrants  from  other  Balkan  States.  Her 
work  is  especially  for  women  and  children.  During  the  month  of 
October,  1915,  she  gave  out  3,500  tracts,  150  papers,  one  Bible, 
nine  Testaments,  and  65  Gospels. 


The  various  Hebrew  Societies  are  excellently  organized  for 
doing  most  effective  service. 

The  Report  of  Committee  on  United  States 
Immigration  Stations 

To  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Immigrant 

Aid  Society  of  America: 

Your  Committee  is,  under  our  Constitution,  in  ‘"charge  of  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  relation  of  the  Society  with  the  Federal 
Immigration  authorities”  and  ""the  work  of  the  Society  at  the  vari¬ 
ous  Immigration  Stations.” 

Accordingly  we  have  during  the  year  kept  in  close  touch,  not 
only  with  our  Ellis  Island  Bureau  but  also  with  the  work  at  the 
Immigration  Stations  of  Boston,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  con¬ 
ducted  by  our  affiliated  organizations  at  those  ports. 

The  bond  of  harmony  which  now  exists  between  the  workers  at 
the  various  ports  has  been  firmly  cemented  during  the  year,  a 
fact  which  has  resulted  in  great  benefit  to  the  Jewish  Immigrants 
who  sought  admission  at  these  ports. 


17 


Societies  at  Work  at  Ellis  Island 


FROM  the  point  of  view  of  effecting  some  definitely  organ¬ 
ized  plan  of  cooperation  among  the  various  agencies  at  work 
at  Ellis  Island,  these  agencies  fall  into  four  groups: 

i.  National  and  Philanthropic  Societies:  Of  which 
there  are  eleven,  accredited  with  ten  missionaries.  These  include 
such  societies  as  the  Polish  National  Alliance,  the  Slavonic  Immi¬ 
grant  Society,  the  Travelers’  Aid  Society,  the  Austrian  Society  of 
New  York,  etc. 

2.  Jewish  Societies:  Three  accredited  with  three  workers. 

The  burden  of  this  work  falls  upon  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Aid 
Society,  which  has  six  regular  workers. 

3.  Catholic  Societies  :  Of  which  there  are  four,  accredited 

with  eight  workers,  including  five  priests.  Italian  immigrants  are 
particularly  cared  for  under  this  group  by  the  St.  Rafael’s  Society. 


4.  Protestant  Christian  Agencies  : 

Womens  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society 
Missionaries:  Miss  Martha  M.  Troeck 

Mrs.  Marie  C.  Conversano 

Congregational  Home  Missionary  Society 
Missionary:  Rev.  P.  D.  Vassileff 

New  York  City  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
Missionary :  Rev.  Charles  Samuelson 

Methodist  Woman's  Home  Missionary  Society 
Missionaries:  Miss  A.  E.  Mathews 
Immigrant  Home:  Miss  Ellen  Stenman 

Woman  s  Board  of  Home  Missions,  Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  A. 
Missionary:  Miss  Teresa  Fransee 

Protestant  Episcopal  City  Mission  Society 
Missionaries :  Rev.  Elliot  White 

Rev.  G.  J.  D’Anchise 

Board  of  Domestic  Missions  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  America 
Missionary:  Rev.  Sidney  Zandstra 

Board  of  Home  Missions,  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States 
Missionary:  Rev.  P.  H.  Land 

The  Lutheran  Emigrant  House  Association  ( German )  (Connected 
with  the  Lutheran  General  Council),  21  Pearl  Street,  New 
York  City. 

Missionaries:  Rev.  Fritz  O.  Evers,  Supt. 

Mr.  Adolph  Metshone 

Swedish  Lutheran  Immigrant  Home  (Connected  with  the  Lutheran 
General  Council) 

5  Water  Street,  Missionary  Supt.,  Rev.  Axel  C.  H.  Helander. 

18 


Danish  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  in  America  (united) 

410  Grand  Avenue,  Kenosha,  Wis 
Missionary:  Rev.  J.  J.  Kildsig 
193  9th  Street,  Brooklyn 
Missionary:  Rev.  R.  Andersen 

German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  (Lutheran  Immigrant  Society) 
8  State  Street,  New  York  City 
Missionary:  Rev.  C.  H.  Restin,  Supt. 

Norwegian  Lutheran  Church  of  America ,  United 
Missionary:  Rev.  T.  Aug.  Tillehei 
Swedish  Evangelical  Mission  Covenant  of  America 
Missionary:  Rev.  P.  Peterson 

Young  Men’s  Christian  Association:  The  International  Committee 
Workers :  Rev.  J.  D.  Marmaroff 
Mr.  A.  Carbonetto 

Young  Women’s  Christian  Association:  National  Board 
Miss  Mabel  Cratty,  Gen'l  Sec’y 
600  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York  City 
Worker:  Miss  Adelaide  Currie 
Women’s  Christian  Temperance  Union 
Worker:  Mrs.  Athena  Marmaroff 
American  Tract  Society,  New  York  City 
Missionary:  Mr.  Charles  Carrol 
New  York  Bible  Society 

Missionaries:  Mr.  Ernest  Jackson 

Rev.  Michael  Lodsin 


Glljriatmafl  (Mrbration 

for  tljr  immigrants  at  lEUt 0  ialattb,^Nrm  Ifork 

Thursday,  December  23,  1915 
PROGRAMME 


Overture . Salvation  Army  Band 

1.  Hymn — “America  ” 

2.  Invocation  . Rev.  Dr.  Elliot  White 

3.  Christmas  Song . . . Played  by  the  Band 

4.  Greeting . Commissioner  Howe 

5.  Christmas  Greeting  (in  Italian) . Rev.  J.  Moretto 

6.  Christmas  Greeting  (in  Spanish) . Rev.  G.  J.  D’Anchise 

7.  Song . Polish  Children’s  Choir 

8.  Christmas  Greeting  (in  Greek) . Rev.  J.  D.  Marmaroff 

9.  Christmas  Greeting  (in  Russian) . Rev.  P.  D.  Vassileff 

10.  Song . Bohemian  Children’s  Choir 

11.  Christmas  Greeting  (in  Swedish). 

12.  Duet . Capt.  Toft  and  Dr.  Leidzen 

13.  Christmas  Greeting  (in  German) . Rev.  Paul  Land 

14.  Fantasie . Played  by  Salvation  Army  Band 

15.  Address  (in  English) . Rev.  Dr.  C.  P.  Tinker 

16.  Hymn — '“All  Hail  the  Power  of  Jesus’  Name” 

17.  Remarks  and  benediction  by  the  chairman . Rev.  Paul  Land 

Doxology 


19 


Boston  Port  of  Entry 

BOSTON  is  the  headquarters  for  the  District  No.  2,  including 
Portland,  Maine,  Providence,  R.  I.,  New  Bedford  and  Fall 
River.  The  immigrant  station  in  Boston  is  not  at  all  adequate 
to  the  needs. 

The  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  in  his  report  of  1912 
quotes  from  the  report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Immigration  at 
Boston  for  1912  as  follows:  “We  are  continuing  to  make  the  best 
of  the  very  limited  quarters  which  are  occupied  as  an  immigration 
station  in  Boston.  An  effort  is  made,  however,  to  counterbalance  the 
inadequate  conditions  by  insistence  upon  the  highest  standard  of  care 
and  cleanliness.  The  conditions  at  Portland  and  New  Bedford  are 
probably  as  good  as  can  be  expected  under  the  existing  circumstances. 
There  is  almost  a  total  lack  of  proper  inspection  facilities  at  the 
growing  port  of  Providence/’ 

In  some  respects  the  ports  of  Boston  and  Ellis  Island  are  quite 
closely  related.  The  Massachusetts  Immigration  Commission  found 
that  the  conditions  at  the  boats  from  Boston  to  New  York  were  very 
bad  indeed.  These  have  been  remedied  to  some  extent.  This,  how¬ 
ever,  is  a  very  important  matter  and  should  have  further  consideration. 

During  the  past  ten  years  the  yearly  average  number  of  immi¬ 
grants  arriving  in  Massachusetts  has  been  73,383. 

Seventeen  missionary  societies  and  other  organizations  have 
eighteen  to  twenty  workers  at  this  port. 

An  Immigrant  Girls’  Home  is  maintained  in  East  Boston  by  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  This  building  is  well  equipped  and 
adequately  furnished  for  its  purpose.  There  are  accommodations  for 
lodging  about  forty-five  women  and  thirty  to  forty  men  and  a  few 
rooms  are  provided  for  families.  The  Home  is  located  near  the  wharf 
of  the  Cunard  Line. 

Mrs.  A.  C.  Clark,  the  superintendent,  has  been  engaged  in  this 
work  at  the  Boston  port  for  twenty-seven  years.  She  and  Miss 
Bridgman  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  and  Miss  Brown  of  the  Woman’s 
Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  have  been  working  several  years  at 
this  port  and  are  highly  commended  by  the  authorities  for  their  ex¬ 
cellent  service. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  been  doing  in  Boston  work  corresponding 
to  that  of  the  Travelers’  Aid  Society.  Representatives  of  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Tupper  are  also  working  at  this 
port. 


20 


Excellent  work  is  being  done  here  also  by  the  representatives  of 
other  societies.  Here  as  elsewhere  the  work,  however,  is  almost 
wholly  unrelated  to  the  conditions  that  obtain  in  New  England,  and 
indeed  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  entry  stations.  The  workers 
are  now  considering  a  plan  for  organizing  their  work  similar  to  that 
adopted  by  the  missionaries  at  Ellis  Island.  It  seems  now  to  be  a  very 
opportune  time  to  effect  a  good  organization  for  the  port  work  in 
New  England. 

The  entire  held  of  this  district  presents  some  problems  that  can, 
without  doubt,  he  finally  solved  and  the  proper  solution  of  which 
would  result  in  very  large  gain  in  the  work  among  the  immigrants  in 
the  entire  New  England  region. 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL 
IMMIGRANT  GIRLS’  HOME, 
EAST  BOSTON,  MASS. 


Missionaries  and  Workers  at  the  Boston 
Immigration  Station 

Methodist  Episcopal  Immigrants’  Home,  Marginal  Street,  East 
Boston.  In  charge  of  Mrs.  A.  C.  Clark. 

Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society,  by  Miss  Mathilda  Brown. 
Congregational  Missionary  Society,  Rev.  Oscar  Lindergren. 

Swedish  Home,  Sailors’  'Boarding  House,  hi  Webster  Street,  East 

Boston. 

Swedish  Lutheran  Society,  Rev.  A.  F.  Seastrand.  Home,  Boarding 
House  for  Sailors,  Henry  Street,  East  Boston. 
Norwegian-Danish  Home,  46  Cedar  Street,  Roxbury. 


21 


Rev.  C.  F.  Wurl,  a  German  and  Scandinavian  worker  in  connection 
with  his  church  in  East  Boston. 

Young  Men’s  Christian  Association,  Mr.  M.  G.  Tupper. 

Young  Women’s  Christian  Association,  Miss  Bridgman. 

Travelers’  Aid,  Miss  Ogilvie. 

Salvation  Army,  8  East  Brookline  Street,  Boston. 

North  American  Civic  League,  two  to  four  workers. 

Council  of  Jewish  Women,  Mrs.  Sternberg. 

Hebrew  Immigrant  Aid  Society,  Abram  Alpert. 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  office,  Chardon  Street,  Boston.  Miss 
Hayes  among  English  speaking  peoples  and  Mrs.  Haberstroh 
among  German  speaking  aliens.  (Grey  Nuns.) 

Polish  National  Alliance  Immigration  Aid  Society..  By  John  Ro- 
maszkiewicz. 

Boston  Italian  Immigrant  Society,  Boston.  Under  direction  of  Miss 
Eleanor  Colleton  and  Miss  Cardolino. 


22 


Philadelphia  Port  of  Entry 

Immigration  Station 

THERE  are  two  stations  for  landing  the  immigrants,  one  at  the 
foot  of  Washington  Street;  the  other  at  the  foot  of  Vine  Street. 
Immigrants  are  examined  at  these  two  stations.  Those  who 
are  detained  for  any  reason  are  taken  by  boat  to  Gloucester 
City  where  the  new  station  has  been  built.  In  Gloucester  they  have  a 
very  well-equipped  building  with  offices  for  administration,  sleeping 
rooms  for  detained  immigrants,  dining  room  and  small  rooms  for 
special  hospital  cases.  Until  the  new  hospital  is  built,  most  of  the 
hospital  patients  are  sent  to  different  hospitals  in  the  city.  There  is 
also  here  a  pier  containing  three  acres  on  which  is  to  be  built  a  Re¬ 
ceiving  Station  to  allow  all  immigrants  to  be  examined  at  Gloucester. 
The  equipment  of  the  building  at  Gloucester  in  every  particular  is 
modern  and  of  the  very  best.  The  dining  room  especially,  is  fitted 
up  in  the  very  best  approved  style ;  it  is  large  enough  to  allow  two 
hundred  to  eat  at  one  time.  The  walls  and  floor  are  cement;  the 
tables  and  seats  are  metal,  so  that  the  entire  room  can  be  washed  out 
with  hose,  as  the  floor  slopes  toward  a  drain  in  which  is  carried  off  all 
the  water. 


Missionaries  and  Workers 

Twenty  different  societies  are  represented  at  this  port  by  mission¬ 
aries  or  agents.  Fourteen  of  these  may  be  called  strictly  religious 
societies.  The  work  is  carried  on  here  about  the  same  as  at  Boston 
and  Ellis  Island.  There  is  no  definite  plan  for  following  up  the  work 
after  the  immigrants  leave  Philadelphia.  Those  who  remain  in 
Philadelphia  are  visited  as  far  as  possible  and  their  addresses  are 
given  to  the  workers  of  the  nearest  church  or  mission.  The  Episcopal 
and  Lutheran  workers  usually  send  the  names  and  addresses  of  those 
immigrants  who  are  connected  with  their  churches  to  the  pastors  in 
the  towns  or  cities  to  which  these  immigrants  are  going. 

The  Lutheran  Church  has  three  representatives.  They  work  to¬ 
gether  in  supplementing  the  work  of  each  other. 

Under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Demberg,  the  Young  Men’s  Christian 
Association  Immigration  Bureau  conducts  the  work  at  this  station 
in  the  same  manner  as  at  other  ports.  Similar  conditions  obtain  here 
as  at  the  other  ports,  namely,  that  the  missionaries  are  doing  a  most 
excellent  work  and  in  a  very  real  sense,  the  most  practical  and  helpful 
work  that  is  being  done  with  the  arriving  immigrant.  The  same  need 
also  is  apparent  here  as  elsewhere  that  the  work  should  be  organized 
in  such  way  as  to  bring  it  into  vital  touch  with  the  immigrant  work 
in  various  Ports  of  Entry,  and  in  close  relation  with  the  missionary 
work  in  our  towns  and  cities. 


23 


The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  maintains  a  Deaconess  Home  at 
611  Vine  Street.  Miss  Ford  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  Miss 
Staake  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  Mr.  Levins  of  the  Philadelphia 
Bible  Society,  have  been  engaged  in  the  missionary  service  at  the 
Philadelphia  Port  for  many  years. 

The  Philadelphia  Bible  Society  distributed  50,479  books  printed 
in  fifty  different  languages. 

The  Women’s  Christian  Temperance  Union,  through  the  work  of 
Miss  M.  L.  Grunninger,  during  the  year  met  ninety  vessels  and  dis¬ 
tributed  nearly  40,000  pages  of  literature. 

The  Philadelphia  Baptist  City  Mission  Society  carried  on  their 
port  missionary  work  through  the  services  of  their  city  missionaries. 

Mr.  Levins,  missionary  of  the  Philadelphia  Bible  Society,  related 
the  following  incident : 

“I  wish  I  could  picture  to  you  the  dying  of  an  immigrant  at  the 
Immigrant  Station.  On  one  side  knelt  the  Matron,  and  on  the  other 
side  Miss  Ford,  a  Methodist  deaconess,  and  before  him  an  interpreter 
reading  from  a  Testament  in  his  own  language.  The  Matron  held  her 
hands  in  the  attitude  of  prayer,  the  dying  man  smiled  and  nodded  his 
head  yes,  indicating  that  he  understood  her  and  would  pray.  This 
was  the  last  comfort  the  dying  stranger  received — a  Jew  reading  our 
Master’s  Words  to  him  and  the  prayers  of  two  Christian  women.” 

At  a  Conference  of  the  workers  and  of  the  missionaries  and  others 
interested  in  the  work  at  Philadelphia,  it  was  voted  that  as  soon  as 
practicable  the  Committee  of  Six  should  consider  a  definite  plan  for 
organizing  the  missionary  work  at  the  Philadelphia  Port.  There  was 
a  great  desire  for  unity  and  efficiency  in  this  service.  There  was 
unanimous  agreement  that  it  would  be  wise,  if  possible,  to  organize 
the  work  at  this  time  so  as  to  be  definitely  prepared  for  effective 
service,  and  to  meet  whatever  conditions  may  arise  in  the  immigration 
problem  in  the  near  future.  This  Conference  also  approved  the 
proposition  to  appoint  in  each  port  city  a  Local  Advisory  Committee 
through  which  the  missionary  work  could  be  supervised. 


The  greatest  decrease  last  year  (June  30,  1915)  was  in  non- 
skil led  or  miscellaneous  workers. 

1914.  1915. 

Farm  Laborers  .  288,053  27,723 

Laborers  .  226,407  48,351 

Servants  . . . . .  144,409  39,774 

Of  the  number  admitted  in  1899-1900,  sixty-per  cent,  settled  in 
five  states,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Illinois,  Massachusetts  and 
New  Jersey. 


24 


The  Philadelphia  Immigration 

Station 

Missionaries  and  Workers 

Lutheran  Women  of  the  East  Pennsylvania  Synodical  Society:  Miss 
Marietta  Staake. 

Women's  Home  Mission  Society:  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Miss 
Ford. 

Philadelphia  Baptist  City  Mission  Society:  Workers  in  the  City 
Mission. 

Swedish  Baptist  Church :  Rev.  Swenson. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  St.  Paul's  Mission:  Mr.  Frank  Long¬ 
shore. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church:  Rev.  Weinstein. 

Norwegian  Church:  Rev.  Halvor  Midtbo. 

Lutheran  Church  of  the  Mission  Syndicate:  Rev.  A.  H.  Winter. 

Pennsylvania  Bible  Society:  Mr.  James  Levins. 

Immigrant  Missionary  of  the  General  Council  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  :  Rev.  Erich  Saul. 

Young  Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union:  Miss  Mary  Grunn- 
inger. 

Young  Men’s  Christian  Association:  Mr.  Denberg. 

North  American  Civic  League  for  Immigrants:  Mr.  W.  Hartzel. 

Council  of  Jewish  Women:  Mrs.  E.  Shevall. 

Association  for  Protection  of  Jewish  Immigrants:  Dr.  H.  D.  Pearl- 
man. 

Catholic  Immigration  Society:  Mrs.  Brown. 

Polish  Society:  Mr.  Dutkievitz. 

Friendly  Sons  of  St.  Patrick:  Mr.  Thos.  D.  Ferguson. 

Society  for  Italian  Immigrants:  Miss  Jennie  Lanzetta. 

Catholic  Temperance  Society:  Mrs.  Smith. 

Alliance  Help  for  Lithuanian  Immigrants :  Mrs.  Susanna  Bar- 
anowsky. 


Emigration  Statistics 

Emigration  for  a  period  of  years  is  about  one-third.  From 
1908-1910  inclusive;  81  per  cent,  had  been  in  America  not  over  five 
years ;  14.7  not  over  ten  years. 

Of  those  coming  to  this  country  from  1890-1900  only  70  per  cent, 
were  found  here  at  the  end  of  that  period. 

In  1899-1909  there  were  more  than  8,000,000  immigrants  admit¬ 
ted.  Of  this  number  1,013,974  were  under  fourteen  years  of  age, 
and  6,786,506  were  between  14-44,  and  412,554  were  over  forty-five. 


Present  Responsibility  for  Future  Opportunity 


THE  problem  of  restricting  immigration  that  for  many  years 
has  been  puzzling  the  politicians,  reformers  and  various 
civic  and  philanthropic  and  religious  societies  and  national 
organizations,  has  been  settled  for  the  time,  at  least,  by  the 
European  War. 

The  danger  is  that  the  Christian  Church  shall  regard  this 
breathing  spell  as  a  time  for  the  relaxation  of  energy.  Such  an 
attitude  is  wholly  contrary  to  the  real  meaning  of  this  hour  and 
does  not  at  all  respond  to  its  earnest  offer  of  a  splendid  oppor¬ 
tunity  for  effective  service  and  permanent  achievement.  It  is  the 
very  best  time  we  have  had  for  several  years  to  get  together,  to 
study  conditions,  to  canvass  fields,  to  discover  needs,  and  develop 
methods  of  work. 

It  has  been  demonstrated  that  the  scope  of  this  work  can  be 
enlarged,  and  its  effectiveness  increased  by  organizing  its  activi¬ 
ties,  so  that  this  branch  of  our  missionary  service  shall  represent 
the  Christian  love  and  life  operating  with  a  spirit  wholly  inter¬ 
denominational  and  non-sectarian  through  a  body  of  workers, 
inspired  by  the  same  motive,  working  by  a  common  method,  and 
moving  toward  a  well-defined  goal.  Thus  our  Ports  of  Entry 
missionary  service  would  be  appreciated  at  its  true  value,  and  be 
recognized  by  Government  authorities  and  other  organizations  as 
a  most  important  and  efficient  factor,  and  be  given  the  place  it 
deserves  in  cooperation  with  the  federal,  civic,  educational  and 
philanthropic  agencies,  working  in  any  comprehensive  service  for 
welcoming  and  protecting  the  Immigrant. 

For  the  full  consummation  of  this  scheme,  there  must  be  clear 
vision  of  the  far-reaching  scope  of  the  Immigrant  work  and  ade¬ 
quate  realization  of  the  vast  opportunity  and  unlimited  possibilities 
for  achievement  in  this  service.  There  must  be  a  deep  sense  of  re¬ 
sponsibility  and  keen  appreciation  of  the  price  to  be  paid  in  order  to 
realize  the  fulfilment  of  the  vision.  There  must  be  a  willingness 
to  let  go  not  a  few  denominational  and  perhaps  personal  prefer¬ 
ences,  and  a  readiness  to  sacrifice  some  things  that  have  been  held 
quite  dear. 

It  is  the  hour  of  a  great  responsibility  devolving  upon  the 
Christian  Church  to  discharge  her  obligation  to  create  such  a  spirit 
of  genuine  fellowship  between  Americans  “New”  and  “Old”  that 
there  shall  be  established  throughout  our  land  a  Christian  brother¬ 
hood  that  knows  “neither  border,  nor  breed,  nor  birth,”  even  the 
gracious  and  masterful  “Brotherhood  of  the  Sons  of  God.” 

26 


For  the  Purpose  of  Examining  and  Inspecting  Immigrants  our 

country  is  divided  into  twenty-two  Immigration  Stations  with 
headquarters  at 

Montreal,  P.  0.,  Canada 

Canadian  border  and  Canadian  seaports 

Boston,  Mass.  Subports  of  Portland  and  New  Bedford 

Ellis  Island,  New  York  Harbor 

New  York  and  New  Jersey;  immigration  matters  only 
17  State  Street,  Sew  York.  Chinese  matters  only 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Substations  of  Pittsburg,  Chester,  and  Wilmington 
Baltimore,  Md.  Subports  of  Annapolis  and  Washington 
Norfolk,  Va. 

Subports  of  Newport  News,  Wilmington,  and  Charleston 
Jacksonville,  Fla. 

Subports  of  Savannah,  Brunswick,  Tampa,  Miami,  Key  West, 
Pensacola,  and  Mobile 

New  Orleans,  La.  Subports  of  Gulfport  and  Pascagoula 
Galveston,  Texas 

Subports  of  Port  Arthur  and  Corpus  Christi 
Cleveland,  Ohio 

Substations  at  Toledo  and  Cincinnati 
Chicago,  Ill. 

Minneapolis,  Minn. 

St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Denver,  Colo.  Substation  at  Salt  Lake  City 
Helena,  Mont.  Substation  at  Havre,  Mont. 

Seattle,  Wash. 

Subports  of  Tacoma,  Port  Townsend,  and  Olympia;  substa¬ 
tions  of  Spokane  and  Walla  Walla 

Portland,  Ore.  Subport  of  Astoria 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 

Ketchikan,  Alaska.  Substations  of  Skagway  and  Nome 
San  Juan,  P.  R.  Subport  of  Ponce 
Honolulu,  Hawaii,  including  all  ports 
El  Paso,  Texas 

Subports  of  Nagoles,  Douglas,  Waco,  Del  Rio,  Eagle  Pass, 
Laredo,  Hidalgo,  and  Brownsville;  substations  of  San 
Antonio,  Tucson,  and  Fort  Worth 

Southern  California:  port  of  San  Diego  and  substations  of 
Los  Angeles  and  Andrade 


27 


Immigration  Statistics 

From  1820-1915  Immigrant  Aliens  came  to  this  country....  32,354,124 

During  the  year  ending  June  30,  1914 .  1,218,480 

This  was  the  largest  number  except  in  1907,  when  the 

number  was . 1,285,349 

Year  ending  June  30,  1915 .  326,700 

Immigrants  returning  last  year . 204,074 

Immigrants  deported  last  year .  2,564 

-  206,638 

Net  gain  of  the  year  ending  June  30,  1915 .  120,052 


Immigrant  Aliens  for  the  Year  Ending  June  30,  1915 

Admitted.  Departed. 

Atlantic  Ports : 

New  York,  N.  Y .  178416  150,014 

Boston,  Mass .  15,983  9,°33 

Philadelphia,  Pa .  7,1 14  7,°52 

Baltimore,  Md .  ,  3,017  335 

Canadian  Atlantic  Ports .  5,040  2,448 

Portland,  Me .  ,115  95 

New  Bedford,  Mass .  827  225 

Providence,  R.  1 .  2,536  1,984 

'Newport  News,  Va .  *  192  . 

Norfolk,  Va .  30  . 

Savannah,  Ga .  13  . 

Miami,  Fla .  v  1454  843 

Key  West,  Fla .  762  2,595 

Other  Atlantic .  27  . 

Ports  of  Gulf  of  Mexico: 

Tampa,  Fla .  1,637  9 

Pensacola,  Fla .  4  . 

Mobile,  Ala .  61  2 

New  Orleans,  La .  v  1,694  800 

Galveston,  Tex .  2,272  119 

Other  Gulf .  ,  35  . 

Pacific  Ports: 

San  Francisco,  Cal .  8,055  3,090 

Portland,  Ore .  93  . 

Seattle,  Wash .  2,613  748 

Canadian  Pacific  Ports .  246  250 

Alaska  .  485  . 

Border  Stations: 

Canadian  Border .  81,382  22,922 

Mexican  Border .  9,003  21 1 

Insular  Possessions: 

Honolulu,  Hawaii .  2,966  475 

Porto  Rico .  928  824 


Total  .  326,700  204,074 

Occupations  of  Admitted  Immigrants 

^  f  „  i9U  1915- 

Professional  .  14,601  12,279 

Skilled  Laborers  .  173,208  55,638 

Miscellaneous  .  710,456  141,843 

28 


Immigrants  1914-1915 


Immigrant  Aliens  came  in  the  years 
to 

Alabama  . 

Alaska  . 

Arizona  . 

Arkansas  . 

California  . 

Colorado  . 

Connecticut  . 

Delaware  . 

District  of  Columbia . 

Florida  . 

Georgia  . 

Hawaii  . 

Idaho  . 

Illinois  . 

Indiana  . 

Iowa  . 

Kansas  . 

Kentucky  . 

Louisiana  . 

Maine  . 

Maryland  . 

Massachusetts  . 

Michigan  . 

Minnesota  . 

Mississippi  . 

Missouri  . 

Montana  . 

Nebraska  . 

Nevada  . 

'New  Hampshire  . 

New  Jersey  . 

New  Mexico  . 

New  York  . 

North  Carolina  . 

North  Dakota  . 

Ohio  . 

Oklahoma  . . 

Oregon  . 

Pennsylvania  . 

Philippine  Islands  . 

Porto  Rico  . 

Rhode  Island  . 

South  Carolina  . . 

South  Dakota  . 

Tennessee  . 

Texas  . 

Utah  . 

Vermont  . 

Virginia  . 

Washington  . 

West  Virginia  . 

Wisconsin  . 

Wyoming  . 

Unknown  . 


1914.  1915. 


1,450 

430 

886 

693 

3,886 

2,100 

399 

147 

32,089 

20,116 

4,493 

L339 

33492 

6,620 

L559 

245 

i,9i3 

1,087 

6,471 

4,810 

778 

356 

5,622 

2,934 

1,976 

1,226 

105,811 

19,062 

14,727 

2,146 

9,307 

3,407 

2,520 

744 

944 

268 

2,268 

i,45i 

7,278 

4,40i 

8,944 

1,883 

93,200 

27,482 

49,639 

17,438 

22,232 

9,H5 

500 

138 

I3,78i 

2,743 

6,070 

3,454 

5,056 

1,388 

1,171 

387 

7,313 

2,832 

62,495 

11,248 

895 

561 

344,663 

95,028 

463 

267 

4,3i3 

3,290 

74,6i5 

9,341 

946 

387 

5,547 

2,629 

184,438 

24,596 

13 

1 6 

1,203 

812 

12,569 

3,621 

260 

132 

i,754 

1,095 

846 

306 

14,6^0 

9,447 

3,387 

1,296 

3,503 

1,928 

1.0-9 

855 

2O,06l 

13.093 

12,399 

2,030 

20,660 

3,850 

1,377 

430 

,218,480 

326,700 

Total 


29 


Departed  1914-1915 

Emigrant  Aliens  departed  in  the  years  I9J4-  I9I5- 

from 

Alabama  .  277  175 

Alaska  .  78  40 

Arizona  .  560  606 

Arkansas  . -• .  44  25 

California  .  8,049  7,063 

Colorado  .  1,079  607 

Connecticut  .  7,57*  4995 

Delaware  .  37°  I41 

District  of  Columbia  .  4°5  269 

Florida  .  1,961  3,555 

Georgia  .  121  89 

Hawaii  .  747  561 

Idaho  .  270  195 

Illinois  .  23,637  11,682 

Indiana  .  4,544  L33* 

Iowa  .  1,469  755 

Kansas  .  421  no 

Kentucky  .  178  99 

Louisiana  .  531  369 

Maine  .  673  665 

Maryland  .  1,313  999 

Massachusetts  .  15,983  14,612 

Michigan  .  10,809  5,524 

Minnesota  .  3,402  1,504 

Mississippi  .  47  21 

Missouri  .  2,744  1,426 

Montana  .  723  532 

Nebraska  .  520  280 

'Nevada  .  288  168 

New  Hampshire  .  1,545  978 

New  Jersey  .  13,983  7, 108 

New  Mexico  .  320  206 

New  York  .  76,017  67,016 

North  Carolina  .  73  47 

North  Dakota  .  405  114 

Ohio  .  16,472  7,640 

Oklahoma  .  215  71 

Oregon  . .  907  583 

Pennsylvania  .  55,217  27,499 

Philippine  Islands  .  n  20 

Porto  Rico  . 969  849 

Rhode  Island  .  2,821  2,566 

South  Carolina  .  43  33 

South  Dakota  .  183  60 

Tennessee  .  108  60 

Texas  .  927  371 

Utah  .  965  718 

Vermont  .  516  483 

Virginia  .  330  233 

Washington  .  2,638  1,491 

West  Virginia  .  3,357  2,617 

Wisconsin  .  4,731  1,824 

Wyoming  .  330  167 

Unknown  .  31,421  22,922 


Total  .  303.338  204,074 


30 


■- 

. 

■ 

‘ 


* 


■ 


I 


